It’s Shoveling Time in the Southern Tier

Many of us broke out the snow shovel yesterday to dig out our driveways and sidewalks, so today, a few tips to help you with your shoveling experience.

We didn't get a lot of snow last season but typically New Yorkers see their share of snow each year. It's a way of life in the Southern Tier and even if you have teens, or the kid across the street to shovel out your driveway, chances are, at some point, you're going to have to do it yourself.

My blog today deals with the Do's and Do Not's of shoveling snow.

The first thing is to dress warm, gloves, hat, and coat. I also recommend wearing a hoodie underneath your coat for extremely cold weather.

Shoveling is more work than most people think, so pace yourself and take a break if you need it. Also you might want to do a few stretching exercises.

I also suggest you buy a good shovel and not a dollar store special. I have two shovels, one with a straight handle, and another with a bend in it for deeper snow.

I usually start with cleaning off the vehicles, start them up and crank up the heater so that the heat will loosen the ice and snow and make them easier to clean off. Once I clean the other areas of the driveway, I can move the vehicles and clean those areas too.

Some people suggest you spray your shovel with a non stick substance like cooking oil or a silicone based product. Personally I’ve never used one, but feel free to use some it may help you, especially with wet snow that tends to stick to the shovel blade.

When starting the actual shoveling motion, don’t put too much strain on your back. It’s always best to bend your knees, and keep the shovel blade closer to your body.

If the snow is deep you want to shovel it off in layers, as opposed to one huge mound of heavy snow that could put you on the couch, or your chiropractor’s office.

I live on a state route and the plow usually goes by quite often during a snow storm, so I always leave the outer part of the driveway till last, otherwise the plow pushes more snow back in front of it. If it’s still snowing I generally wait till it stops, or I have to leave before I clean that out.

If possible always toss the snow you’re shoveling a good distance as to not create a huge pile that will heap up, and eventually come tumbling back onto your driveway.

All driveways are different, so the best thing to do is take a look at your situation, and plan how you’re going to do it, while applying some of my tips.

Be safe. Happy Shoveling.

Winter also brings very cold weather at times check out my video (below) on dressing for cold weather..